Mountain lion put down after collision with vehicle off U.S. 40

A driver hit a mountain lion close to U.S. 40 in Wasatch County on Thursday morning, requiring the animal to be put down, the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office said.

Rick Keel, a Wasatch County deputy who responded to the scene, said the accident occurred at 8 a.m. on a frontage road on the west side of the highway between the Mayflower exit and the vehicle gate at Deer Crest.

The driver was traveling northbound in a Chrysler PT Cruiser when the mountain lion jumped over a guardrail in front of the vehicle, Keel said. The driver could not stop in time.

"He said it was pretty quick," Keel said.

Another driver called the authorities.

Keel said the mountain lion survived the collision, but it was badly injured. The animal could only move its head, he said. It was "definitely suffering," Keel said. Keel put the mountain lion down with one shot from his patrol rifle.

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The mountain lion was approximately 1 year old and appeared to weigh between 65 and 70 pounds, Keel said.

The Chrysler PT Cruiser was not damaged in the collision.

The incident continued what has been a busy stretch of reports involving wildlife in the Park City area, including bear and moose sightings.